Mailbag: O.C. Board of Ed gives public a venue to share misinformation

Re: Citing parental rights, O.C. Board of Education weighs in against nonexistent vaccine mandates, TimesOC, May 9. After devoting much of the article to random citizens doing and saying inane things, you finally make the following three statements: The county is dealing with how to educate the public to combat vaccine hesitancy, California’s recent success against the virus has been the public’s willingness to get vaccinated, and some may still be hesitant for a number of reasons, some of which may be fueled by misinformation. All three perfectly summarize the situation. But why isn’t TimesOC educating the public instead of quoting Joe Public saying ignorant things? If vaccinations are helping combat the virus, why are you burying the lead? If misinformation is a problem, why include a bunch of misinformation in the article? While you finally get around to squeezing in some quotes from the one board member with half a brain (Ms. Gomez) and an actual medical professor, it’s too little too late. Do a better job! Society needs you to.

Dave Courdy
Huntington Beach

Let me get this straight, the Orange County Board of Education (which has no authority at all, according to your article), is still given a public forum to spew lies and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and to pass a ridiculous resolution about digital vaccine passports. I guess the words “Orange County” and “education” are truly oxymoronic (assuming the O.C. Board of Education even knows what that means)!

Carl J. Doerksen
Mission Viejo

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